JBL launches AI that helps you choose your dream headphones

According to data from the consulting firm Mordor Intelligence, the hearing aid market is expected to be worth $61.9 billion in 2024, while by 2029, it is forecast to reach $106.68 billion.

This growth scenario, as well as the increasingly frequent integration of AI into different spaces, is being leveraged by brands to create loyalty with their users, as is the case with JBL.

How does it work?

The brand’s AI is called SmartFit and all you need to use it is a cell phone.

Consumers click on a link that guides them through scanning their ears using their device’s camera. They then answer three questions about their preferences, such as what they’ll use the headphones for or whether they want noise cancellation.

With this data, AI provides one of three alternatives available on JBL models:

Flex: For ears with a solid ‘V’ shaped tragus (the initial part of the ear where the jaw ends) and shallow concha, the hearing aid fits gently into ears without protruding and is designed for people who do not like to isolate themselves from the world.

Beam: Designed for ears with a solid ‘V’ shaped tragus and shallow shell, but unlike the Flex it guarantees a complete seal and therefore noise cancellation.

Buds: Designed for ears without tragus, their purpose is to create a complete seal and ensure a high level of noise cancellation.

According to the brand, to feed its AI, they scanned more than 1,000 ears of people from different parts of the world. When users use this tool, what it does is compare the information it receives with the data it has already recorded and thus provide a result.

There is no cost to enter and the test is available on JBL’s official networks and stores. Of course, the results offered by this AI only help to select headphones from the brand.

Other brands have already tried similar tools. For example, Sony has 360 Reality Audio Setup through the Headphones Connect app, which analyses the individual shapes of the ears to experience realistic and immersive sound; or AirPods, which scan the face and ears to suggest the ear cushions that best fit the user.